


Pirate Girls of Collingwood

by Bellairian, LeChatNoir1918



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Birthday Presents, F/M, Fluff without Plot, No angst there's enough of it in real life, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21857095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellairian/pseuds/Bellairian, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatNoir1918/pseuds/LeChatNoir1918
Summary: What do you give the woman who has everything? When the woman is Phryne Fisher, you want your birthday gift for her to be something very special.This fic is a chapter from a long story I posted on fanfiction.net over five years ago - before Season 3 aired and long before we knew there would be a film - and which I've since deleted. But I always loved this chapter because I thought I'd found a way for Jack to give Phryne the perfect birthday present.When LeChatNoir1918 started posting her gorgeous MFMM artwork, I asked if she would consider illustrating this story for me. To my utter delight, she said yes.
Relationships: Phryne Fisher/Jack Robinson
Comments: 42
Kudos: 94





	Pirate Girls of Collingwood

**Author's Note:**

  * For [izzyandlouie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/izzyandlouie/gifts).



> Gifted to @izzyandlouie because she was one of my very first reviewers and followers way back in 2014. Thank you so much my dear friend, for everything, and happy birthday! I hope you don't mind this is a day late!

* * *

**December 21st - Phryne's birthday**

  
xoxox

Phryne woke to Jack stretching beside her. She curled her leg around his and slid her foot down his calf and stretched with him, feeling his "mmmm"s vibrating from his chest to hers as he pulled her close. When he turned to lie on his side, she shifted to face him and reached up to run her fingers through his mussed curls.

He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Happy birthday, Miss Fisher," he said, his lips curving into that little lopsided smile she loved so much.

"Thank you, Inspector." She snuggled closer and nuzzled his chest. "This might be the best birthday I've ever had."

"Only might be?" He gathered her into his arms so she was as close to him as she could be. "Let's see if we can make it the best birthday ever."

  
xoxox

The dining room table was laden with food and china and gleaming silver. Bert and Cec were opening bottles of wine and placing them on the sideboard. The cart in the parlor sparkled with crystal glasses and decanters and Mr. Butler was serving cocktails. Soft music filled the air; Jane was tasked with changing the records. Dot was in charge of retrieving two wrapped presents waiting in the study at Jack's signal.

Jack was in the parlor, but close to the door so he could keep an eye on the stairs. Half an hour ago Dot had shooed him out of the bedroom with instructions to wait downstairs and entertain guests as they arrived. He had introduced his parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law to Mrs. Stanley, Mac, and Hugh and was now being teased about his attire. "Wearing my tuxedo is a birthday request from Phryne" was all he would say. His sisters looked impressed and their husbands tried to ignore the pointed looks they were receiving from their wives.

Dot came downstairs, smiling at Jack when she reached him. "She looks even more beautiful than usual, Inspector" she whispered. "She'll be down very soon."

A few minutes later the bedroom door opened and Phryne stood on the threshold. She took a deep breath and remained there for a few seconds, remembering this day previous birthdays. Her sister's disappearance had left a huge void in her life and when all the questions were answered and Janey's remains were found the relief was overwhelming. But the emptiness afterward was just as overwhelming and she'd felt like she was standing on the edge of an abyss where only sheer force of will and Jack's steady gaze kept her from tumbling into it.

Now Janey's death was no longer a constantly aching wound, she was in love, and wonder of all wonders, her Aunt Prudence no longer scowled at her every time she saw her. A year ago she would never have guessed any of these could be possible.

She smiled to herself, descended the stairs to the man who was crossing the entry hall to meet her, and walked hand-in-hand with him to the parlor.

  
xoxox

Jack watched Phryne flutter around the room, kissing cheeks, shaking hands, smiling, and greeting her guests. The determined, scrappy girl with chopped off hair and an unflinching gaze had grown into a determined, graceful woman. Only the tiniest hint of the heartbroken girl was still there under the gold silk and lace. He'd seen far more than a hint of her before, remembering the look in Phryne's eyes when they sat in her kitchen, her signed statement on the table between them.

His heart had nearly broken for Phryne when she said "My birthday party" and she struggled not to cry, chin thrust out to thwart her tears, devastated by the random chance of a birth date mistake leading to a madman murdering her beloved sister. He could hardly bear it when she reached for his hand and said "Help me to celebrate." There was so much pain and raw emotion in her eyes, and need for him – who had been with her throughout the harrowing investigation and ensuing nightmare – to stay with her just a little while longer. He'd had to close his eyes for a moment while she squeezed his fingers and silently implored him to stay. He'd opened his eyes and nodded once, knowing at that moment he would always be hers, even if she never knew. There was no way on earth he could refuse her.

So he'd folded the pages of Phryne's statement and pocketed them, then walked through to the parlor door where the party was in full swing. He leaned against the door jamb, not wanting to intrude – he had no real reason to be there other than her request – and scanned the room for her as Mr. Butler offered him a glass of champagne.

She'd been a silver shimmer deep in the parlor, not moving, not smiling, her eyes were huge and dark. She looked like a child who has just realized it is lost and vulnerable and utterly alone. Then she caught sight of him in the bright entry hall and they each took a sip of their champagne, eyes locked, barely a muscle moving except the corners of their mouths and eyebrows, and those movements were only scant millimeters.

He'd held her gaze, willing her to come back to them, his tiny smile reassuring her she could do it, his eyes reminding her how much all of them loved her. He felt a flood of relief as her eyes lit up with their familiar sparkle and she became herself again, smiling as she held his gaze for one more second.

  
xoxox

Phryne felt a warm hand on the small of her back as Jack extricated her from a spirited conversation with his sisters and led her to an armchair. There wasn't anything she wanted for her birthday except to share the day with the people who were dear to her, so her surprised look was completely understandable when Dot handed Jack two flat parcels and he placed them on a small table in front of her.

"Open the smaller one first" Jack instructed her, and she untied the ribbon and carefully unwrapped his first gift.

She gasped and stared unbelieving at the framed sketch. Her little sister gazed back at her, a hint of a smile at the corners of her lips and eyes. She has seen that expression hundreds of times but not once in the last fifteen years. Until now. She touched the glass lovingly, as though she could feel Janey's cheek under her fingertips. Phryne's eyes were huge and bright when she turned to Jack. "Jack? How? Where did…?"

Jack gently took the sketch from her and handed it to Dot. "Now open your other present. Then I'll tell you everything you want to know."

When the wrapping paper was pulled back she gasped again and stared unbelieving at the larger framed picture. A quick look to Jack and her eyes were riveted on the picture as she picked it up.

She held a watercolor of two young girls sitting in an old, rust-stained bathtub, a broom for a mast and a threadbare shirt tied to the broom handle for a sail. The dark-haired girl was holding the broom, smiling at the younger, blonde-haired girl who was holding a ragged bit of lumber for an oar. They were surrounded by corrugated tin fencing, half hidden by laundry hanging on the line, lost in their own little world. The oar was weathered to grey, and the fence was the same grey, dotted all over with spots of rust echoing the rust stains in the tub. The laundry, the shirt, and the girls' pinafores were shades of white and cream. A bit of blue sky peeked above the fence and through the billowing sheets and the blue was repeated in the ribbons at the end of the blonde girl's braids and in the shining eyes of both girls.

The artist had captured the exact moment they were setting off on an imaginary adventure, their faces rapt with excitement at escaping, if only for a little while, the shabby, dreary world they inhabited. "The Pirate Girls of Collingwood" was written in a flowing hand below the scene.

She had no idea how these exquisite things had come into existence but they instantly became her most prized possessions. Her eyes were bright with tears threatening to spill as she looked at Jack again.

He held her gaze steadily as she whispered his name, completely oblivious of everyone else in the room except him. She reached a hand to him and a tear rolled down each cheek. Jack cupped her face in his hands and gently wiped each tear away. She sniffed and whispered "Jack. Thank you." Another tear escaped and as she reached up to wipe it Jack handed her his handkerchief.

The look on his face when she wiped her nose and returned his used handkerchief dispelled the tension in the room and everyone gathered around her to see Jack's gifts. The room was silent again for a few seconds and then everyone started talking at once, wanting to know about the sketch and painting, asking Jack who drew it, who painted it, and how, and when.

He told them about Iris, an art student Dot and Jane met at the museum, and how she was able to create Janey's portrait and imagine Phryne and Janey playing as he described them to her. "Miss Williams searched this house from top to bottom for photographs of Janey or Phryne and Janey. When she couldn't find any, it was her idea for me to call Mrs. Stanley, who very kindly loaned me two family photographs. If it wasn't for Jane asking to go to the art museum they wouldn't have seen the art students. And if it wasn't for Miss Williams' curiosity about what one particular student was doing and her quick thinking to get the student's name, I would never have found someone to create these gifts for Phryne."

Jack turned to back to Phryne and reached for her hands. "I wanted to give you something to remind you of your happy memories of your sister. And each time you look at these pictures remember you are loved too and we are so thankful you are in our lives."

When Jack finished speaking he and Phryne were almost as still as statues, their only movement their hands squeezing the other's hands and their eyes searching the other's eyes, oblivious again to everyone else in the room.

Jane leaned in to whisper to Dot and Hugh. "That's exactly how they were looking at each other when we went to the theater last week. I think they forgot I was there."

Dot smiled at Jane. "Jane, that's exactly how they were looking at each other last year when I went into the kitchen to fetch a tray of snacks. They didn't even notice I was there. I had to tell Miss Fisher everyone was waiting for her."

Hugh looked at the two young women and smiled a little smugly. "I have both of you ladies beat. That's exactly how they were looking at each other on the train to Ballarat."

  
xoxox

Mr. Butler pressed Bert and Cec into service to help serve champagne. When everyone had a glass, Mac led Phryne into the entry hall and asked everyone to gather around to join her in a birthday toast to her oldest friend.

Jane changed the record on the gramophone and set the needle down as soon as the toasts finished and then rushed back so she could watch Jack's next surprise unfold. When the strains of a waltz filled the hall Jack handed his and Phryne's glasses to Mac and extended his hand to Phryne.

"Miss Fisher? May I have the pleasure?" 

Within just a few moments everyone took notice of what was happening in their midst and stopped chatting and laughing to watch Jack and Phryne dance. There were small groups at the foot of the stairs, in the telephone nook, just inside the dining room and the parlor, and by the front door. Jack and Phryne were completely unaware of their audience, smiling and gazing at only each other for the entirety of the piece. Jack's ears turned pink and Phryne laughed and curtsied when the music ended and was followed a round of applause.

"Thank you everyone" Phryne said, smiling at her guests. "I'm sure Jack and I aren't the only ones here who know how to waltz. There is plenty of room for you to join us if you like. And if there isn't we'll make room."

The music started again and Phryne turned back to Jack and placed her hand on his shoulder. Jack reached for her other hand. "Is this your way of asking me to dance, Miss Fisher?" he teased as they started waltzing again.

Phryne returned Jack's teasing with eyelash fluttering innocence. "I was unaware your offer was limited to just one dance. Should I stop?"

"No, you shouldn't stop. You may have as many dances as you like. As long as they're slow and close, of course."

"Be warned, Inspector. I will remember your offer."

"I'm counting on it, Miss Fisher."

xoxox

Phryne turned off the entry hall light and walked into the parlor. Jack had already turned off a couple of lamps and was sitting in one of the armchairs. He had his drink in one hand and reached out to her with the other. She took the offered hand and lowered herself gracefully into his lap. He put his drink down and gently pulled off her lace jacket and draped it over his tuxedo jacket on the other armchair. "Much better" he said as he ran his fingertips across her collarbone to her bare shoulder. He took a sip of his drink and offered his glass to her.

She took a sip and gave him his glass back. Then she untied his tie and unbuttoned his top two buttons. "Even better" she said as Jack pulled her close.

Jack rested his cheek against Phryne's head, gently stroking her bare arm and shoulder, and they were lost in their own thoughts for several minutes. He was very pleased her party had gone so well and she was happy with his gifts to her, but most of all he was glad the heartbreak of her sister's death had finally eased. Tonight when they caught sight of each across the room their looks were just as intimate as last year but in a much different way – sometimes teasing, sometimes loving, sometimes serene.

Phryne idly fiddled with Jack's next button, thinking she had never seen him quite as relaxed and happy as he was tonight. He had been with her during some of the darkest moments of her life and had come up with an astonishing idea to turn the darkness into light. The imagination and effort he had put into her gifts was breathtaking.

A niggling thought interrupted her admiration of Jack's imagination. "Jack?"

"Mmmm?"

"How did you get the photos from Aunt P?"

"I called her and asked if she had any photographs of you and Janey. She invited me to her house."

A hint of incredulity edged into Phryne's voice. "You went to Aunt P's alone?" She pulled back a bit and smiled fondly at him. "You're braver than I thought."

Jack raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I didn't have a choice. I needed to know exactly what Janey looked like so I would know how accurate the police sketch was."

"It was close. But her chin wasn't quite right. Iris' sketch is perfect." Phryne slipped her arms around Jack's neck. "I can't tell you how much I love your gifts. You really are the most wonderful man, Jack Robinson."

"And you have thoroughly enchanted me, Phryne Fisher."

They pulled each other close, and in the process of putting all of the love and longing and desire they felt for each other into their kisses and caresses buttons were unbuttoned and earrings were carefully removed and narrow straps were gently slipped aside.

They were more than a little breathless when Phryne stood and reached for Jack's hands. "I love dancing with you," she said. "Ask me again?"

xoxox

Mr. Butler was in the kitchen dealing with the aftermath from the party when he thought he heard music. He automatically went through the dining room to see what was happening but stopped short at the door to the entry hall. Miss Fisher and Inspector Robinson were standing in the parlor, her golden dress glimmering in the low light. They were speaking to each other but their voices were so low he couldn't make out any words. He turned and went back to the kitchen as quickly and quietly as possible, closing the door behind him. If he had stayed he would have seen his mistress rest her hand on her Inspector's heart and her Inspector gather her into his arms before they started to dance.


End file.
